Videograss World Premiere

Winter started late, summer started late, but movie premiere season has started earlier. This past weekend Videograss premiered their new movie Bon Voyage, first to a skatepark full of campers during the VG session at High Cascade, and then the big kids premiere in downtown Portland. The crew was rolling extra heavy all weekend—if you were a camper at HCSC there to hang with VG, you were stoked. They were shredding hard ’til the bitter end everyday—pro riders riding—not as common as one would think. There were sightings in the foam pit, on the skate ramps, and out front of Cobra Dogs. It was a fun week capped off by new levels of premiere party fun.

Premieres are admittedly as much about the movie as it is about mingling, and Bon Voyage has a stacked roster of riders to mingle with—add in the heavy Portland shred scene, and some unusual suspects like Scotty Wittlake in the crowd, and you’ve got a big night ahead of you. The crew is stacked stacked, you really need to watch it more than once to make some definitive statements about it’s awesomeness, but here’s what I was left with—it’s fast-paced, raw, technical, there’s music to match each riders personality, and hammers that need to be rewatched, and fun traveling antics, and the simple cartoon intros rule (nice work Mike), and it generally made me want to stop being so responsible and go shred. Alex Cantin shines, Grenier’s part made everyone laugh, Darrell snuck some powder into his part, Jed blew everyone’s minds (again), and it’s just a firing line of technical riding with some harsh wrecks mixed in, and a surprise ending. Good times. The next stop on the premiere tour is in Salt Lake City, Thursday, August 19-wear something you can do splits in, that you’re cool with getting beer soaked, and you don’t mind losing.

Alex Cantin fits the profile of one of the nicest guy you'll ever meet. He scored first part in a crew of heavies. Cheers with his TM Matt Sickles. PHOTO: Andy WrightChris Grenier put together a solid part complete with some seriously entertaining ATVing stunts (or was that a golf cart?), rad considering he blew up his spleen late last winter—all better now. Shane Flood sighting! PHOTO: Andy WrightIf you could hear this shot it would be loud—Poppers! Grenier, LNP, and Ben Bilocq at the Beauty Bar afterparty. PHOTO: Andy WrightGrenier and LNP were two of the night's MVPs. PHOTO: Andy WrightJordan Mendenhall and Portland-based photog Neir have a special relationship. PHOTO: Andy WrightSay cheese! Mendenhall, LNP, Will Lavigne, and Alex Cantin. PHOTO: Andy WrightVideogras editor/director/filmer Justin Meyer and VG filmer Sean McCormick. Congratulate them on a job well done ... and then hit them up for a free shirt. PHOTO: Andy Wright How's this for a product toss? Riders! Good call Lance. PHOTO: Andy WrightStagediving is a common theme at VG premieres. PHOTO: Andy Wright